Endangered Species

It looks like my newest sports entertainment hobby will be packing up and heading to Canada in the very near future. This week Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold announced that he has sold the team to Canadian Billionaire Jim Balsillie. Balsillie had previously tried to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins in an effort to relocate them.

Leiopld acknowledged Thursday that he has sustained 75 million dollars in loses over the ten years of the clubs existence. In the past two years the Predators have lost 27 million despite benefiting from consecutive playoff runs and a league-wide revenue sharing program. It is doubtful that Balsillie purchased the team to keep it in a market that consistently loses money. If the Predators do not average 14,000 in ticket sales next year, Balsillie will be able to void the lease with the Nashville Arena and move the team.

The Most Watched You Tube Video of All Time

Extreme Mormons

No Dogs in the Hunt

Thanks to the playoff swoons of the Predators and Mavericks, my spring sports calendar has become wide open. These two regular season power houses were supposed to keep me entertained well into June. Thanks to Golden State Warriors and the San Jose Sharks I'll have to find alternative sports entertainment products from now until football starts. Here are a few things I'll be pulling for over the next three months....

1.) My all-time favorite baseball player, Craig Biggio is within 37 hits of reaching the 3000 mark. He should reach this milestone by the end of June.
2.) It appears imminent that Barry Bonds will eclipse Hank Arron's career home run record within the next two months. I will be pulling hard that he accomplishes this feat on the road. The new home run champ deserves an ovation befitting his character and medicine chest.
3.) More Jeff Gordon victories in former states of the Confederacy.
4.) I'd love to see A-Rod eclipse the 200 RBI mark for a season. It would be great if he could do it this year and overshadow Barry's big moment.
5.) Rickey Henderson coming back to MLB for a 26th season at 48.
6.) Tiger and Phil in the final pairing at the US Open, on Sunday.

Fairest of Them All

My favorite women's college basketball coach picked up a big honor this week. Sheri Coale, coach of the Lady Sooner's was voted the “Best Dressed Coach” by the Women's College Basketball Association. I am pleased that Sheri is receiving recognition for her professional appearance on the court. My wife (not a fan of Sheri's attire) feels that her wardrobe is the only reason for my interest in women's college basketball.

The Oklahoma Quarter

The US Mint began producing state quarters in 1998 at the snails rate of 5 per year. Being that my home state is #46, I've had 9 years to ponder and anticipate the image that would represent Oklahoma. From the time I saw the first state quarter (Delaware) I hoped that Oklahoma's remarkable state bird, the scissor-tail flycatcher, would grace our quarter. On April 30th, Governor Brad Henry announced that the image of the scissor-tail flycatcher would indeed represent Oklahoma on it's quarter.
If you've never lived in Oklahoma you've probably never seen a scissor tail. Their range is very limited and they spend their summer almost exclusively in the Sooner state. I am very pleased that Oklahomans chose this beautiful state icon to represent us.

Someday I will have to explain to God why.......

of 150 Psalms I can quote only one (23rd) word for word. I think I know extensive segments of lyrics for at least 90% of these timeless hits. The biggest travesty of this list is that Tears for Fears and Huey Lewis are omitted.

VH1's Top 100 Songs of the 80's

1 Bon Jovi / “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1986
2 Def Leppard / “Pour Some Sugar On Me” 1987
3 Duran Duran / “Hungry Like the Wolf” 1982
4 Michael Jackson / “Billie Jean” 1982
5 Prince / “When Doves Cry” 1984
6 Hall & Oates / “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” 1981
7 Guns N’ Roses / Sweet Child O’ Mine 1987
8 Madonna / “Like a Virgin” 1984
9 Run-D.M.C. / “Walk This Way” 1986
10 AC/DC / “You Shook Me All Night Long” 1980
11 Journey / Don’t Stop Believin’ 1981
12 Whitney Houston / “How Will I Know” 1985
13 U2 / “With Or Without You” 1984
14 The Bangles / “Walk Like an Egyptian” 1986
15 Van Halen / “Jump” 1984
16 INXS / “Need You Tonight” 1987
17 Whitesnake / “Here I Go Again” 1982
18 Dexy’s Midnight Runners / “Come On Eileen” 1982
19 Cyndi Lauper / “Time after Time” 1984
20 Rick Springfield / “Jessie’s Girl” 1981
21 Michael Jackson / “Beat It” 1982
22 The Cure / “Just Like Heaven” 1987
23 Cyndi Lauper / “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” 1984
24 A-Ha / “Take On Me” 1985
25 Go-Go’s / “Our Lips Are Sealed” 1981
26 Guns N’ Roses / “Welcome to the Jungle” 1987
27 Kajagoogoo / “Too Shy” 1984
28 Wham! / “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” 1984
29 Talking Heads / Burning Down the House 1983
30 Pat Benatar / “Love is a Battlefield” 1983
31 Queen and David Bowie / “Under Pressure” 1981
32 Night Ranger / “Sister Christian” 1983
33 Soft Cell / “Tainted Love” 1981
34 Poison / “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” 1988
35 Phil Collins / “In the Air Tonight” 1981
36 Tommy Tutone / “867-5309 / Jenny” 1981
37 Aerosmith / “Janie’s Got a Gun” 1989
38 U2 / “Pride (In the Name of Love)” 1984
39 Modern English / “I Melt With You” 1982
40 The B-52’s / “Love Shack” 1989
41 Mötley Crüe / “Dr. Feelgood” 1989
42 The Clash / “London Calling” 1982
43 ABC / “Look of Love (Part One)” 1982
44 Bananarama / “Cruel Summer” 1984
45 Janet Jackson / “Nasty” 1986
46 The Police / “Every Breath You Take” 1983
47 Twisted Sister / “We’re Not Gonna Take It” 1984
48 Bruce Springsteen / “Born in the U.S.A.” 1984
49 Beastie Boys / “Fight For Your Right” 1986
50 Eurythmics / “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” 1983
51 Ratt / “Round and Round” 1984
52 Dead or Alive / “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)” 1985
53 Billy Idol / “White Wedding” 1988
54 Salt-N-Pepa / “Push It” 1986
55 A Flock of Seagulls / “I Ran (So Far Away)” 1982
56 Bonnie Tyler / “Total Eclipse of the Heart” 1983
57 Toni Basil / “Mickey” 1981
58 Culture Club / “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” 1982
59 John Mellencamp / “Jack & Diane” 1982
60 Young M.C. / “Bust a Move” 1989
61 Styx / “Mr. Roboto” 1983
62 Berlin / “Take My Breath Away” 1986
63 Devo / “Whip It” 1980
64 Paula Abdul / “Straight Up” 1988
65 Foreigner / “I Want to Know What Love Is” 1984
66 Depeche Mode / “Just Can’t Get Enough” 1981
67 REO Speedwagon / “Keep On Loving You” 1980
68 Public Enemy / “Fight the Power” 1988
69 R.E.M / “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” 1980
70 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts/ “I Love Rock N’ Roll” 1981
71 Rick James / “Super Freak” 1981
72 The Fixx / “One Thing Leads to Another” 1983
73 Nena / “99 Luftbaloons” 1983
74 George Michael / “Faith” 1987
75 Prince / “Little Red Corvette” 1983
76 Thomas Dolby / “She Blinded Me With Science” 1982
77 New Edition / “Candy Girl” 1983
78 Blondie / “Call Me” 1980
79 Human League / “Don’t You Want Me?” 1981
80 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock / “It Takes Two” 1988
81 Cameo / “Word Up!” 1986
82 Squeeze / “Tempted” 1981
83 Prince / “Kiss” 1986
84 Lionel Richie / All Night Long (All Night) 1983
85 Robert Palmer / “Addicted to Love” 1985
86 Bow Wow Wow / “I Want Candy” 1982
87 Falco / “Rock Me Amadeus 1986
88 Chaka Khan / “Ain’t Nobody” 1989
89 The Pretenders / “Brass in Pocket” 1980
90 Tone-Loc / “Wild Thing” 1989
91 Katrina and The Waves / “Walking On Sunshine” 1983
92 New Kids on the Block / “You Got It (The Right Stuff) 1988
93 Gary Numan / “Cars” 1980
94 The Rolling Stones / “Start Me Up” 1981
95 Debbie Gibson / “Only in My Dreams” 1987
96 Men at Work / “Down Under” 1982
97 The Romantics / “What I Like About You” 1980
98 Bobby Brown / “My Perogative” 1988
99 Wang Chung / “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” 1986
100 Loverboy / “Working for the Weekend” 1981